Railway switching and signaling apparatus.



No. 821,435. A PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. v

W. W. SALMON.

RAILWAY SWITCHNG AND SIGNALING APPARATUS. APPLIGATIONHLED MAB.2B, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET `1.

jef;

No.. 821,435. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

W. W. SALMON. RAILWAY SWITGHING AND SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.28,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES wiLMFR w. SALMON, OF BUFFALO, newl PATENT OFFIOF.

YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE FALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RAILWAY SWITCHING AND SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application led March 28, 1904. Serial No. 200,337.

To all whom) t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILMER W. SALMON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway Switching and Signalmg Apparatus, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to railway switching and signaling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for securing positive indication of the movement'of a switch or the movement of a signal.

The object of my invention is to provide means forn securing a dynamic indication at or after the time the switch or signal has completed a given movement.

In the following description of my invention I have shown the same as applied to a system of switching employing a switch-operating motor and a source of energy and an indicating-magnet for announcing the fact that the switch or signal has completed its movement but I do not limit myself to invention to systems employing electric energy, since it may be used with equal facility in a system operated by hand, by pneumatic power, or other form of energy.

I have shown my invention applied to a signal which may be actuated by any of the well-known methods, and my invention is in like manner with vits able to the employment of any of the welllrnown forms of energy.

I will first describe my invention as applied to railway switching, and for convenience I shall describe the same as employing the devices shown in Letters Patent No. 681,589, to John D. Taylor, dated August 27, 1901.

Referring to the drawings herewith, Figure l is a diagram of switching-circuits. Fig. 2 is a section of my mechanism for storing up energy and a magnetogenerator for producing the indication-current for railwayswitches. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of my invention applied to a signal.

A is a rail-switch to be moved by the motor 1 2, which is connected therewith by appropriate mechanism.

3 4 are the arms switch.

5 is a brush, and 6, tacts of a controller.

of the pole-changing 7, and 8 are the con- 9 is a source of electric energy.

l0 is an indicating device, and 32 is a magneto-generator.

Referring rst to Fig. 2, I will describe the operation of my device for storing up energy to cause the operationof the magneto-generator. 12 is arod which is attached to and which reciprocates with the locking-bolt of the rail-switch and motion is imparted to it by the action of the locking-bolt of the switch. The end of the rod 12 has a head 13, which travels in a cylinder 14. A second and similar head 15 is iitted to travel in the use in switching adapt-v cylinder 14 and carries upon its Outer ends the rack 16, which meshes with a pinion 17. The two inner ends of the heads 13 and 15 have lugs, to which are secured a helical spring 18. Iivoted in slots 14 in the cylinder 14 are arms 19 and 20, which are provided with shoulders 21 and 22, capable of engagement with the outer face of the head 15 when said arms 19 and 20 are closed in. Springs 23 and 24 are rigidly secured to the cylinder 14 and have their free ends bearing against the outer surface of the arms 19 and 20, thus tending to hold them in. The inner surfaces adjacent to the ends of these arms are beveled outwardly, as shown at 25 and 26, the bevel being extended so that when the arms are forced into the positionshown in the drawings the head 13 is capable of entering between them and upon its further movement is capable of separating them sufficiently to throw the shoulders 21 and 22 out of engagement with the head 15. Mounted upon the arm 20 is a contact-piece 27, insulated from said arm and capable of making contact with the contact-points 28 and 29. The pinion 17 is mounted rigidly upon a shaft 30, which also carries a gear 31, which meshes with a pinion (not shown) upon the armature 32 of the magneto-generator. If now the rod 12 be forced inwardly, compressing the spring 18, the head 13 will come in contact with the beveled faces `25 and 26 of the arms 19 and 20 and upon its further progress will separate them sufficiently to throw the notches 21 and 22 out of engagement with the head 15, and the pressure of the spring 18 will drive the head "15 and the rack 16 outwardly, and will thus rotate the pinion 30 and through intermedi- Yate gearing will rotate the armature 32 and IOO i that current will flow from the battery through wire 33, contact 7, brush 5, contact 8, wire 34, contact 35, switch-arm 3, wire 36, armature 1,

wire 37, switch-arm 4, contact 38, wire 39, contact 40, Wire 41, field 2, wires 43 44 45 back to battery. This will cause the motor to move the switch A, and at the close of such movement the locking-bolt will move and with it will carry the rod 12 (see Fig. 2) and produce chine.

the movement of the head 13 and the attendant mechanism above described. At the same time the pole-changing switch 3 4 will break contact with 35 and 38 and make contact with 40 and 46, ready for the neXt movement. This cuts off the battery from the motor, and, as above described, a movement of the rod 12 and the head 13 in compressing the s ring 18 and releasing the arms 19 and 20 wil close the contact between 28 and 29 through the contact 27 and cause the magneto-generator to generate a current which will iiow from the armature 32 through wire 47, indication-magnet, 10, wires 49 44 50, contact 29, contact-plate 27, contact 28, wire 51 back to armature 32 of the magneto-ma- This will energize the indicationmagnet 10 and produce the indication that the switch is home and locked.

The pinion 30 may preferably be provided with a ratchet mechanism, so that when the rack 16 is driven in the opposite direction by the opposite movement of the rod 12 the armature 32 will not be caused to rotate, but since the resistance involved is comparatively slight the inion 30 may be rigidly secured upon the s aft 17 Without material disadvantage.

U on reverse movement of the switch the brus 5 would be moved to bridge the contacts 6 and 7 and current would then iiow from the battery through wire 33, contact 7, brush 5, contact 6, wire 52, contact 46, switch-arm 4, .wire 37, armature 1, wire 36, switch-arm 3, contact 40, wire, 41, field 2, wires 43, 44, and 45 back to battery. This will cause the return movement of the switch and upon the final movement of the lockingbolt to place will again compress the spring 18 and perform the other operations above described with reference to the magneto-generator and produce indication through the magnet 10, as above described.

In adapting my invention to systems employing other power is necessary is to attach therod 12 to the locking-bolt or some convenient part reciprocating with such bolt.

than electricity all that Referring now to Fig. 3, I will describe the operation to produce indication that the signal has gone to the danger position. Mounted upon the signal-post is a device for storing up energy, substantially identical with the device shown in Fig. 2, similar parts being indicated by similar reference characters primed. The rod 12 extends upwardly through guide-bearings and is pivoted at 53 to a rod 52, which in turn is pivoted at 54 to the casting of the signal-blade. The signalblade is shown in the safety position. now the signal-blade is returned to the danger position, the rotation of the signal-blade casting will lower the rod 52, and the rod 52 will force the rod 12 downwardly. The head 13 will compress the spring 18, and when the head 13 strikes the beveled faces 25 and 26 of the arms 19 and 20 the head 15 will be released from the notches 21 and 22 and the rack 16 will be forced downwardly. The pivotal connections of the rod 52 with the casting of the signal-blade 55 and the consequent movement the head 13 should be such that the release of the head 15 from the notches 21 and 22"v will occur just as the blade 55 reaches the full danger position. The movement of the rack 16 causes the pinion 30 to rotate, which through the gear 31 and a pinion (not shown) rotates the armature 32 of the magneto-generator. Coincident with the release of the head 15 the outward movement of the arm 20 closes the contact-plate 27 with the contacts 58 and 59. Current from the generator will then flow from the armature 32 through wire 56, contact 58, contact-plate 27, contact 59, wire 60, magnet 61 of an indicating device, and wire 57 back to the magneto-armature. gized will cause the indication showing that the blade 55 has gone to the danger position, and this will occur independently of any movement of the counterweight in the event of any break or derangement of parts permitting the signal-blade to fall.

Having thus described my invention, what T claim is- Y 1. In a railway switching apparatus, mechanism for moving and locking the rail-switch, an indicating device, mechanism for producing energy during the period of movement and locking of the rail-switch and means for retaining such energy for any predetermined length of time, means for calling said energy into action when or after the railswitch is home and locked, means for generating an indicating-current, and mechanism for applying said energy to actuate said mechanism for generating said current, and a circuit connecting said generator with said indicating device for the purpose of producing the desired indication.

2. Tn a railway switching apparatus, mechanism for moving and locking the rail-switch,

The magnet 61 thus ener- IOO IIO

an indicating device, mechanism for producing energy during the period of movement and locking of the rail-switch and means for retaining such energy for any predetermined length of time, means for calling said energy into action when or after the railswitch is home and locked, means for generating an indicating-current and mechanism for applying said energy to actuate said generator, a circuit connecting said generator with said indicating device, a switch in said circuit, and means for closing said circuit through said switch at or after the completion of the movement of the rail-switch, whereby said generator actuates said indieating device.

3. In a railway signaling apparatus, in4

combination with a signal and an indicating device, mechanism for actuating said signal, means for producing energy from and during a movement of said signal, a generator for producing an indicating-current, a circuit connecting said generator with said indicating device, and means for calling said energy into action to actuate said generator at or after a movement of said signal, whereby said indicating device is actuated.

4. In a railway signaling apparatus, in combination with a signal and an indicating device, mechanism for actuating said signal, mechanism for producing energy from and during a movement of said signal, a generator for producing an indicating-current, a

.circuit connecting said generator with said indicating device, a switch in said circuit, means for calling said energy into action to actuate said generator, and means for closing said switch in said circuit when the signal has completed its movement, whereby said indicating device is actuated.

5. In a railway signaling apparatus, in com bination with a signal and an indicating device, mechanism for actuating the signal, mechanism actuated by the movement of the signal-blade for producing energy while the signal-blade is going to danger, a generator for producing an indicating-current, a circuit connecting said generator with said indicating device, a switch in said circuit, means for causing said energy to actuate said generator when said signal-blade has gone to danger and means for coincidently closing said switch in said circuit, whereby said indicating device is actuated on the movement of the signal-blade.

6. In a railway switching apparatus, a source of energy, a switch-motor, mechanism for moving the rail-switch, a controller, an indicating device, and an operating and an indicating circuit, a pole-changing switch, mechanism ior storing up energy during the period of rotation of said switch-motor, means for calling said energy into action when the rail-switch is home `and locked, a generator for producing an indicating-current, and mechanism for applying said storedup energy to actuate said generator and thereby cause indication through said indicating device. i

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

WILMER W. SALMON.

Witnesses:

L. THOMAS, GEORGE D. MORGAN. 

